They've recently started offering some models with unglossed fretboards, which shows they're not completely averse to change. There are no CBS, Norlin, or Baldwin-era Ricks, just the same build and quality since the beginning.
I have never seen a maple fretboard unglossed on any Fender guitar. I don’t know why people make such a big deal about Rickenbacker spraying laquor over rosewood.
It is DEFINITELY a cost saving measure. Plus I have 3 of them. 2 we’re fine. But one needed extensive work to make playable. QC is a BIG ISSUE with these instruments. Disgraceful when you think of the money these cost and the insanely loyal fan base.
Casino don’t have a Rickenbacker in stock (although a 60s example is with their luthier). Neither does anyone else. The main reason most people have never played a Rickenbacker is that they have never had the chance to. I recently acquired a 360 and I am completely besotted with it (especially the neck - oh, and that Ric-O-Sound thing for twin amping). But it had to find me. It had been my luthier’s studio guitar for 20 years (you can imagine how it plays, plus its a bit tricked out from the factory spec) and he had decided it was time to let it go. There it was, on the wall of his workshop one day I went it to pick up an acoustic, winking at me. “Who’s is the Ricky…”? “Oh, that’s mine, take it away for the weekend if you like, see how you get on” (I think he kinda wanted me to have it). And for me its the perfect singer songwriter guitar. There is something about them that just doesn’t get in the way of a singer. But they are relatively rare because production is relatively low by volume and nobody really needs to market them. So nobody does. If you are ever fortunate enough to have a Rickenbacker track you down don’t fight it. Give it a big old French kiss on the first date and if necessary sell your neighbor’s mother to raise the $. Always remember it chose you, which means you now have a solemn duty to make great guitar music with it, for ever and ever, amen!
I have a 2002 burgundyglo 330 six string and a Ruby 660 12-string. Both sound and play great. They are definitely their own thing, in the way that they feel and the sound. But in some musical situations, they are the right tool for the job. The Beatles, Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, The Edge, Johnny Marr…. Have all made great music with them
This is also why Duesenberg is so smart- they took two relatively stubborn (in a good way) legacy brands, Gretsch and rickenbacker, and created an amalgamate of their designs into something that captures the essence but is way more player friendly in a modern era. Still, Ricks rule, especially their basses and 12 strings
And if you want certain models, you wait until one is available. I grew up watching people play the guitars and basses, and I'm not talking about The Beatles. People like Peter Buck, Marty Wilson Piper and people like that. Iconic looks. I had to have a bass too. I bought my 360 when Tom Petty passed.
I bought a used 13 year old 1974 Jetglo 4001 bass in my early 20's, also because of Chris Squire. I paid $150 CA and it even came with the original case. It did need a little bit of work but I loved the sound and feel, even if I didn't play or sound like Squire. I ended up selling it for $800 six years later. I never regretted it, i used that money to help pay for an Apple ][+ computer and spent the bulk of my working career in IT. However, I did miss it. My wife finally told me to "Just go and buy one" after spending too many hours on eBay looking at Rickenbacker basses. After doing some research, I ordered a Jetglo 4003 from the factory through Canadian retailer Long & McQuad the end of September 2014. I was told it would be a least a year. Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call the end of February 2015 that my bass had arrived. Serial number said it was built in January. The bass was still off gassing when I opened the case in the store. I've got a number of Fender's, a Stingray and various other bass shaped objects, but the 4003 is my number one. Yes, it doesn't work for all music styles but I've been playing the heck out of it and loving it. It just feels right in my hands. Rickenbacker has been making small, incremental changes. The new five string bass (4003S/5), reissue of the 4005, changing dual truss rods to single, non-laquered fingerboards and redesigned bridges on the 4000 series basses, all point to a slow and steady attitude to change. I don't think you'll be looking at any radical new designs in the near future.
In the Beatles you always think of John and George when it comes to Rickenbacker but Paul was a Rickenbacker man too. Most recordings of the group from Sgt. Peppers to the end of the group in the studio was him playing a Rickenbacker Bass. You see it in the old video of All You Need Is Love.
I bought a 90’s Lefty 330/12 in Denmark Street about 20 years ago. Slightly scared of it for 18 years as it never worked well with my Marshall and was freaked out by the clear glaze on the fretboard. Then I got a Vox 2 years ago and it’s now opened it up as a fantastic instrument. It’s like a cousin to Gretsch. Plus it’s probably now worth twice what I paid for it.
I had a small solid body 620 that I had paired up with a Marshall in a punk band I was in. Pretty appalling sound really as they didn't go together at all well. Great for something more subtle or jangly .....got pinched. Wish I still had it now I'd probably appreciate it more.
Rickenbacker makes fantastic basses and we've always thought it was great that there is such confidence in the quality of the original designs. Every bass I've held by them felt great whether it was vintage or modern. I think they enjoy an advantage that Chrysler(USA) used to have in the car industry which is you can make what you want when you aren't #1 or #2 and that gets the attention of people who don't want "the industry standard".
Hey Guys . . It's pronounced Rick - en - BACK - er . . . NOT Rick - en - BACH - er!! When Adolph Richenbacher founded his company he named it for himself. But with the outbreak of WW2, he was worried that folks would think Richenbacher was a German based company, and so he Americanised the name to make it sound true blue made in the USA, which indeed it was, and still is. Rickenbacker is as American as the Cadillac. This info is right outta the Rickenbacker book.
It took several months to get my first Rickenbacker 360w. The second ,Rickenbacker 330FG, was just a quick search on Reverb and price negotiation. Both are excellent guitars and bring a new characteristics to the sound when playing.
Guys, once I decided to get a Ric and I ventured onto Reverb, they had a lot of used and new Ric plus basses. I found my 620 six stringer, used, but it was listed as mint and I got it for 1300 plus $125 shipping. I got it and it is mint. I asked the seller why and it was the neck issue. When he bought it, he was a rhythm guitarist but went to playing lead. Because of the neck, he had to sell it. Me, I am rhythm and can’t see changing buy I own a tele, strat, a 335 and Les Paul. The Ric sound is so pretty
When I was a teenager I was playing my dad's Rickenbacker 3001 bass, a weird bolt on neck body and it weighed a ton but it sounded amazing and played beautifully. I'd still love to have a 360 guitar even though the sound is very niche and the quirky feel is different than anything else.
I've owned a 1976 320 white, and a maple glow 1980 360 12 string. My favorite guitars ever. I love the neck profile. I sold them years ago but I was thinking about buying another 360 12 string. I think maybe the walnut one. I love it. It's beautiful
I have been an acoustic only player for decades. 3 years ago decided to learn electric. I decided to kind of follow history. Started with a Rick 360/6, then Tele, then Strat. Fun.
North Carolina boys. Love their knowledge & admiration for the brand and business model of Rickenbacker… Just got my Mapleglo 330. It’s like a timepiece. You’ll never regret buying one. It oozes cool!
Ric's price is simply tied to inflation and their growth is tied to population growth. The guitars hold or increases in value so if you do sell you at worse had free rent of the guitar while it was in your procession. If you can afford the initial outlay you have nothing to lose buying one. They have no internal staff problems because they treat the employees with respect. The lady that wound Townsends PU's was still working part time their in her 80's. In fact I was able about 8 years ago to get in contact and have a PU made and it was for my Duo Sonic. It was still sold to me as a replacement part. I paid $75.00 USD. The triple chrome plating on it would cost me three times that. The PU gives me both the Tom Petty thing and the Townsend thru a Marshall stack thing. Very versatile.
I totally agree about the renting thing. I have a '92 360 and I could sell it today for triple of what I paid. *edit*. I think that one of the reasons for this is that their specs haven't really changed much. I imagine that a new off-the-shelf 360 is identical to my old one. That only helps them as a brand
@@DavidHBurkart My Duo is the MIM one with the hardtail bridge. I have the Ric at the neck and a Duncan Tele 55 at the bridge. Townsend used both the Ric and the Tele even at the same gig. The PU's are different but complimentary Leo designed the Tele '54 and was annoyed it was a 9 out of 10 so only a year later he did the '55. It has more 'spank' . Years later he said it was his favorite. Both Tom Petty and roger Mcguinn used a little treble booster always on box. In 1966 Vox made the Vox V-806 treble booster. Ananashead make the Byrd Song pedal. It is a perfect part for part clone for $100. The pedal make the Ric sound sound like what most guys think a Ric already sounds like ..in short extra, extra chimey and sparkly.
I recently picked up a new 330/12 - it only cost me a bit under $2k. I absolutely love it. The neck is skinny, and I have chubby fingers so it's not a match made in heaven but the more I play it, the more I get used to it. As you guys said, it's an acquired taste. The model 1993Plus has a wider neck than the 330 and 360 as does the 620. worth a try if you just can't get used to the skinny necks.
Wow guys, awesome. Every Ric is exquisite. For someone coming from acoustic guitar flat-picking, going to a Ric is the most natural transition to electric guitar. They are the most tuneful electric guitars I have ever used, by far. I started this side project covering early R.E.M., and playing that material on a Tele or something else is NOT the same. Jonathan most definitely needs one. For a 6-string, I would go for a 330 or 360. For 12-string, if you want the wider fretboard, look at the 660/12 and 1993Plus, else, be prepared to design a custom nut with your preferred string placement.
I've seen some Walnut 330s at Andy Babiuk that have a more raw, unfilled finish that is super alluring. It's not that Rickenbacker has "kept it small". That's a myth if you don't know about any history BT, Before Twitter. Rickenbacker is doing way less than they used to up to about 2000 or so. In the 80s and 90s they did some fabulous things and had a pretty expansive catalog. They had a lot of signature models-- Townshend, McGuinn, John Kay, Glenn Frey, Susanna Hoffs, and of course Tom Petty. There was a Chris Squire bass and I think a Geddy Lee bass. They had a reissue 4001 that was the one McCartney had but no sig. They had amazing acoustic guitars! The 700 series, I think it was. Rickey Nelson had been known for playing them while girls fainted. A dreadnought and a jumbo, both in 6 and 12 string, and in Mapleglo or Fireglo finish. They had the same headstock as the electrics - - imagine that! They made an unbelievably beautiful archtop jazz guitar in Fireglo called The Jazzbo, which had these exaggerated cat's eye soundholes. Possibly the most beautiful guitar you've ever seen! They had a color of the year every year. They tried out Walnut versions of the 330, 360 and 4003 which they still have, but they also launched the 650 line, which had the cresting wave design on 4 beautiful wood finishes, and some new-fangled humbuckers they tried out. They had all the usual 330, 360, 381, 620, etc type guitars in the usual colors and shapes, and the 1996 and 1997 Rose-Morris f-hole models, but there was also a brief run of a 480 series that had a 4001 shape body on a guitar! Wow! They started to do vintage reissues like the 325 and 350 Liverpool series that are still made. The features on the Tom Petty (toasters, trapeze tailpiece, and wider neck) were so popular they continued it as the 660 model, and that is still made. But around 2000, something changed. Vintage spec models like the 360 V-64 went out of production. The WB double-bounds were gone. The acoustics were over. Jazzbo was over. I don't think they continued doing the signature models, and once the runs finished on the others, that was it. The 650s were gone. They re-upped the 360 V-64 as the 360 C-63 and there was a 1997 style (called the 1993) that came along later. For a while, after 2000, the Fireglo finishes were often terrible! Very orangey and with no amber transition in the burst, just pale wood. They got better again but it took a while. Overall, though, it seemed that Rickenbacker contracted, they cut back, they streamlined, they stopped innovating and fell back to a very staid, predictable line of classics. To me, in retrospect, it looks like there was a changing regime in the family, or some consultants were brought in, key staff quit or were let go, or the factory and process underwent changes or "upgrades" .... Or all or some of the above. They did try to license out the acoustics to someone for a while, but that didn't last. That was not a good idea. Why stop making them? Because someone at Rickenbacker didn't want to do it anymore. What I've heard from dealers is that the company is very hard to work with. They are arrogant and indifferent and obstinate. They have the prestige of history behind them so eff you. They make the guitars in runs of a model or two at a time and rotate them through, rather than make some of several models. So that is why you wait 2 years, it's until that model gets its turn. The story is that the family got magnificently wealthy buying up real estate in Orange County and they don't count on the money from the guitar company to scrape by. That's just a vanity project, though they do it well. But somewhere in there, they decided to stop growing the guitar business, and keep it as a heritage thing, but it's a more constricted business model than it was 15-20 years ago, and has not been a "small tight family thing" ever since John saw Toots playing a Capri in 1959 or some such thing. I may have some details wrong but I will stand by my main thesis as to the past 20 years. And I'm not even talking about how they dropped the amps, the lap steels, double-necks... Mike Rutherford, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you!
Make me a stereo guitar, preferably a solid body. I like the toggle switch and Volume and tone controls in the same positions as an LP. A pickups blend control is a nice addition.
Rickenbackers are my go-to guitar every time! My main model has been the 620 solid body, since I got my very first one back in 1982, my third year of high school. It's still the only one that I bought brand new from a dealer! These days I have five of the 600 series RICs. A 67 FG 625, with the accent vibrato, a 77 JG 620 that was modded with EMGs by the previous owner, a FG 620/12 from 1980, which was the first year of production for the twelve string after the Tom Petty album came out with Petty holding Mike Campbell's 12 string. Also a 1991 JG 610 and a 2002 Burgundy 620VB, from the "colour of the year" run. I prefer the smaller headstock with the Kluson tuners, so the obvious next Rickenbacker for me would be a 660, with the slightly wider neck. I have fallen in love with British Racing Green, a finish that RIC has only offered on the 4003 and 330 so far. But I live in hope!! I also own a TR25 amplifier from the early 1980s, which sounds great! People forget that amplifiers were something that the company sold for years, often as a combination of guitar and amplifier for students learning the guitar. Again a wonderful company, with a rich history, and if I ever make it to Santa Ana CA I will go worship at the holy ground of Kilson drive, what is currently a plumbers supply store, where most of my instruments were made.
I recently bought a 4003 Autumnglo in satin with the checker binding after lusting after a Ric for years. An all around great guitar- lovely tone and beautiful fit and finish. And family made in 🇺🇸. I was a bit nervous after reading the cold shoulder they tend to get online but I must’ve lucked out and gotten a really good one- no complaints.
A good guitar is where you find it, but as somebody who built these guitars for many years I find the comments completely from a fanboy perspective.. I would probably disagree with 75% of the things people say on here about the guitars themselves and the company... the owner only has a passion to protect the copyright but other than that the whole family has zero passion and they could do a small expansion with changes for the good.. I had to beg them to go on a stewmac shopping spree because the tools they had were from the 30s I believe when the company started lol and that was like pulling teeth so I don't need to go any further on how resistant to change this lifeless company has ! for the companies that I've worked for in the many other guitars that I've built I appreciate my time at Rickenbacker because they do have a legacy along with a slightly different type of construction than others was certainly a benefit to my guitar building experience but that's about where it stops for me ! Bottom line is this company can't do more than 30 guitars a day period.. no secret sauce going on ! Three different occasions declined to sell me a guitar and you couldn't even barely get a t-shirt or a poster from these people as an employee
Have a 330 and a 360 12 string. My experience is most people do not like them. Been in a lot of shops where people go off on how horrible the neck, dual truss, lacquer, pickups are. My Rick's have appreciated well.
Baxter throwing in Braveheart and other random movie references is why I watch every video from Casino. I can always count on Baxter making some weird reference to some movie. LOL
I bought a 1993Plus 12 string last year as a gift for the brother. It’s a bucket list guitar. It has it’s own sound, and it looks epic. It sounds great even acoustically. I’ve got a video of it on my profile. Price wise, they are vastly less than a fender or Gibson custom shop model, and every bit the same, if not more quality. Also have a Don Rich replica 64 custom shop telecaster. Everything is awesome in its own realm. Rickenbacker has nailed down its sound, just like Gretsch, fender, and Gibson have. Nothing makes that sound, and oh what a sound it is.
Part of what controls their production is the type of finish they use on Rics. The chemicals are regulated at the state level. They can only bring in so much, which means they can only produce so many guitars. Also, they started making what ppl wanted to buy a long time ago. The didn’t mess with the recipe!
The correct pronunciation of the name is Ricken-"BACK"-er. It's a short "A." Not a long "AH." Check it out with anyone from the family or management. Great vlog, guys. Very informative.
I have loved Rics my entire playing life since I saw Martin Rotsey of Midnight Oil playing a 360/12 (which he played on the latest tour BTW) back in the late 80's. Compared to Strats and Les Pauls, they just looked so weird and sounded like nothing else. I have a 360/12 and 360 and love them to bits. They are the ANALOGUE of the music world.
I have managed to acquire a few over the decades. My first was a McGuinn 12 string that sounds magical but the nut is so narrow you need long thin fingers to make it work. The 360 and 660 are easy to play. The 325 is a smaller unit and tough to play if you have larger fingers. They all sound special and like Rics. Same for my 4003 bass. Nothing sounds like it
They've sold a lot of them over the decades, so there must be more thin-fingered people around that you'd think. Why you'd need long fingers for a narrow neck is a mystery to me.
Thin nut on the Ric 330/12 is a deal killer for me. I had one for 2 years and eventually sold it. Same problem with the 335/12 in the late 60s. The fender XII were pretty good deals until the pandemic spike. Also a guild Starfire 12 string is a good wide nut option
I feel ya; I have 3 Les Pauls, a strat and a tele; I have a 1994 Fireglo 36 6 string; the narrow nut width is just so difficult to play, it sits on the rack most of the time; I'm never going to sell it because it's mint, and it's gorgeous, but my others guitars are sooooo much easier to play
Looking back, it seems pretty miraculous that Rickenbacker survived the 1970s - I guess sales of the 4001 bass kept them going? Just shows there's always a market for quality. I'm going to buy a 360-12 as a retirement self-gift one day (if I back-order it on my 62nd birthday it should arrive on time!)
Actually, I don’t think they fight the market trends. They, as you say, stay in their lane and let market trends play out knowing there will be ebb and flow. I’ve had my 330/12 since 1990 and it makes me smile every time I pick it up.
I’ve had a 360 since the late 90s and never take it out of the case because it’s awkward to play. I should sell it, but I can’t part w/it because it looks so cool.
Roger McGuinn had a double-neck Ricky - He also had one with the "color organ" so it wold change colors based on the notes/frequencies. Of course, Roger is the poster boy for all things Rickenbacker...
Fireglo Rickenbackers are the most beautiful electric guitars in existence. I have 3 of them. A 1966 360/12, a 1967 360, and a 2016 1993plus 12 string. Unbelievably good guitars, but sometimes I just stare at them in their cases, which I never do with Fenders and Gibsons. It does help if you have long and narrow fingers, but the 1993plus has the wide neck, and the vintage 12 is so easy to play in spite of the narrow neck. I often look at it to try to figure out its secret to easy action, just great craftsmanship I suppose.
With Ric, it's almost like their standard line is comparable to other brands custom shop. I've owned several Rics over the years, but none of them ever 'stuck' with me. I think now that it was more my limitation than theirs... If I was to get one now, it would be the 'Tom Petty model' 12 string, because it has a slightly wider nut, which is crucial in a 12 string. I still can't believe that George Harrison and Roger McGuinn were able to deal with those skinny neck 12s, but hey, they did it...
In part, according to an interview with John Hall, their focus on vintage styling and features has been based on customer demand. They aren't a huge company and their output has largely been to satisfy customer demand for traditional, old school. I recall John mentioning that he'd like to expand to new styling and features, but demand for the old styling has been so great that they can't focus on new stuff. It is a quirky company, but I love my Ricks.
Gibson, Fender, Musicman...they all bang their heads against that wall as well, every time they try a new model the bass community complains that they should stick to the classics
They have stated that since they are a relatively small company and there is so much demand for the legacy instruments, there is no need to expand the product line, nor do they have the capacity. They also said: it’s pronounced RickenBACKer.
I had a Ric 4001 bass back in the 80's and early 90's. Loved the sound but hated playing it because to me, the neck was just hard to play. Kept it for 10 years because of the tone. But the fingers were always killing me after playing it.
My dad has a 330 and I love it for rhythm and it has an incredible sound but I don’t love it for lead, it’s good, but a little stiff IMO. Do they make one more conducive to lead
The reason that there are no new Ric models is simple - John Hall and team designed a whole new range in the 90's. Ric 380L, Ric 650, Ric 220/230/250. They didn't sell very well, which is a pity as they were REALLY cool guitars. After that, Ric stuck with the classics.
My local shop has a brand new Ric in stock...hasn't been there long. Sound Vibrations in Corpus Christi, TX. I know they ship guitars....they have a Reverb store..but they don't really use it that much.
I bought my Rickenbacker fireball 1969 360 12 from Cesar Diaz (rip) back in 1994. Cesar lived in Stroudsburg PA. He played xwith Bob Dylan and was SRV's amp tech back in the beginning of Stevie's career. Also from the Stroudsburg area and my RIC
Continued: the Ric I bought belonged to Bill Kelly from The Bouys who's only hit was "Timothy" ,the song about cannibalism in a mining accident. Lol. My RIC kicks the song off.
Finally someone talking about rickenbacker! They are like the invisible guitar company. I am saving to buy one and there is never any content on these great American guitars
Ive got a 360/12 which is the only guitar I can think of that has a video by Rodger McGuinn teaching how to play it, it is a bear to play so I bought a 660 and it has a wider neck and is fun to play but still different ....
My Ric 330 Mapleglo is still my favorite guitar. You can hold it and feel the quality of a USA made. Nothing sounds and plays like it. Everyone should have one.
I have had 3 Ricks: A 90's 360/12 with Hi-gain pickups and "R" tailpiece, a 350v63 with toaster pickups, and I still have a 360/12C63 (George Harrison) with toaster pickups. I didn't like the Hi Gain pickups, the toasters sound a lot warmer and natural. I also didn't like the "R" tailpiece, it makes re-stringing a nightmare. I traded the 350v63 in for a Strat at Norm's Rare Guitars and a couple of days later they posted a video with Tim Pierce playing my guitar! Damn!
I got a Rickenbacker 360 this winter. The neck is the best thing ever: narrow fretboard and thick neck profile. So cool. Ric has stopped laying gloss over the fretboard since last year. So you have your regular rosewood fretboard. Is it a great gig machine for Jonathan? it looks and sounds great, but changing the strings on that floating R tailpiece is a nightmare. Bring a spare guitar!
Change to a trapeze tailpiece, you can get them on Reverb. Or, add the tremelo tailpiece. The R looks great but is a hassle on 6 strings and a nightmare on 12 strings. Maybe the R could be modified to allow for string through. Another possibility. Adds weight, though, it's a big hunk of metal. My 360 V64 six string had a trapeze tailpiece. The guitar had a pinging sound on the b string that no one could solve at the bridge, saddle or nut. I finally put a tremelo on from Winfield Vintage and it no longer pings. Plus it trems! Not cheap but it totally revolutionized the guitar. My guess is it was some kind of metallic overtone that got accentuated by the resonant hollow-body. It made the guitar virtually unplayable. Now it's great with no ping - - but I don't much like the lacquered fretboard now that I'm playing it for longer periods. Hopefully that is helpful.
Jonathan, you have Mike's amp and no Rickenbacker????? Mike Campbell and Tom Petty are why I play Rick's and love them, the sound awesome and yes the neck takes getting used to, but once you're dialed in they are incredible. My 620 covers most of my needs. I have two, had three until I recently sold my 250 El Dorado as I just didn't play it as much, but I would have twenty of them if I could. My next one will be a 650D or a 660 12 string.
What I would like to see RIC do is a 4003 with ROASTED EHRM and a Warwick-esque oiled finish. Oh, and a Hipshot Bridge. THEN, do a 4001C64S with the above tweaks.
I've owned a blonde 330 since the early '90's. Great guitar ! I'm shocked they don't get copied as much as other lines of guitars, 335's, LP's, Tele's, Strat's, Flying V's, etc. and I've never heard of Ric ever suing other manufactures. Everyone should have one in they're array of instruments.
It's because the owner sits up in his little Loft in the warehouse and looks for people to sue if they do anything close.. was lead Builder for 4 years and so many of the opinions on here are completely uninformed and come from a fanboy perspective
@@globalmind43 There's nothing wrong with a company working to protect it's trademarked designs. Any company that has anything worth protecting is doing the same.
There are plenty of Asian made Rick copies. You won't see them hanging on the pegs at guitar center, but they're readily available from places like Aliexpress. And at pretty reasonable prices compared to the real things. I've never played one of them, so I don't have an opinion. I did own (and wish I still owned) a Univox 4001 copy from the lawsuit era. The previous owner put real rick pickups in it. If it weren't for the single truss rod, it would have been identical to a real 1976 4001.
I've always wanted a Ric, since I started playing in the early 80s. They finally started bringing them to the UK again in the 90s - the distributor got caught selling Ric knock offs in the 70s, and Ric pulled the deal - tried one and couldn't get on with the necks. Absolutely love them, but couldn't live with one.
I think it’s easy for people to pick on Rickenbacker, every guitar maker going does the exact same thing. C.F. Martin has D-28 and D-18 which have been mainstays for 70 plus years. Over at Gibson it’s Les Pauls, SGs, flying vees, ES-335s, SJ-200s and J-160s, Gretsch has 6120s, 6122, 6119, and Duo jet, Sparkle jet, Penguins and Falcons. Epiphone has it’s Casino and Texans. Down the road at Fender it’s Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazz Bass, P Bass. All of these instruments with no or various differences to the original concepts. No other maker seems to get this stigma…. But Rickenbacker does. I’ll simply ask you, when are you going to talk about guitars.
Ric was forced by the California Air Board and forced to limit production. They had the option to leave and increase production but they stayed in California and simply limited production of pollutants from the finishing process by limiting the number of instruments produced daily. This is why there is a 2 year wait list for suppliers. Limit production and build in automatic demand.
This also forced them to change from the catalyzed conversion varnish to the UV cured conversion varnish. Guitars made during that transition had issues with soft finishes due to the inconsistencies with the curing process.
I so want to visit in person. I drive between Ga and Va a couple times a year, but ya'll aren't exactly on the way. My family would kill me if I veered that far off course to go to a guitar shop. In hindsight I could have probably gotten away with it on a road trip with my son last week. Damnit. The obvious solution is you need to move closer to 75 or 85 or 40 or even 95.
They have changed the neck. I bought a used 2002 360/12 used,and it has a thick neck. Then I bought a new 2021 360/12. Thinner neck. The neck feels exactly like an Epiphone Sheraton II Pro (spelling) that I just played at GC. There is a difference in spring spacing between both too. They changed the string spacing around 2008 and tightened the pairs and spread the Outer E string pairs out. Way easier to play. I actually bought a newer nut from Rickenbacker to put on my 2002. I had to file the depth for each string of course. I play one every day. Leave it out of the case. It’s the newer one. Already has a couple of nicks in the paint. I play one of them at church every Sunday through a hot rod deluxe. Distortion, chorus, Flanger,delay, and ehx C9 organ pedal are my basic pedals. Jangle Box compressor is always on. People love the Rics over my Strats, Skyhawk, and vintage Jag. I do too😀
Ricks are pretty cool but I can't get with the neck. Maybe I'll change at some point. I've played a few really nice Rick basses and they sound amazing but my left hand just didn't jive with those necks. But I love my fianceé's Jackson-Backer! That thing plays like heavy metal butter.
I'll take the Rick in a heartbeat thanks. I'd consider a used Gibson 335 12 if they didn't make a Rick look cheap, or maybe an Epiphone Casino 12 if they ever decide to make them again. Even the used prices on those are high when they finally surface.
I've wanted a Rick for the last 50 years! That may sound strange, but I'm 70 and have been gigging for 50+ years. The right time, price, guitar has just never come along. Back when I started, everything I played was a 50's - 60's guitar, that's all there was! LOL If I had only kept 1/2 of the ones I've had over the years... I still wouldn't have a Rick! LOLOL 8) --gary
I had a Rickenbacker 4001 bass back in the 1970s (I was 17, I believe) that I bought just because Chris Squire played one in Yes, and Yes was very popular for a while in my crowd. It did have that unique staccato sound like Chris used so effectively. However, I rarely used it because my band played mostly Southern Rock and some Beatles-never any Yes songs or Prog rock in general. I traded it in at a guitar shop in Memphis (Strings and Things) for an Ovation Applause acoustic even up, because I was in medical school by then, and figured I'd never play in a rock band again. And, yes, I was taken advantage of. A 1975 or so Rick 4001 was and is WAY more valuable than an Ovation Applause. The Strings and Things staff took advantage of a naive and somewhat desperate kid. Wish I still had it now.
In 2000, I bought a 360 in Fireglo to celebrate my first good job. The binding had plenty of gaps. My 2022 Yamaha Revstar RSS02T is perfection in comparison. It was still a beautiful guitar, but pre solid internet, I never learned how to play it. I sold it in the midst of my doomed marriage. It is a very cool guitar, but I never found the neck very comfortable.
I think the Rickenbacker 4001 bass is every bit as iconic as the Les Paul or Stratocaster.
No doubt. There is a long list of rocks finest bass players making those 4001's sound great.
@@patm5086 Iconic look and sound, which is hard for a bass to pull off
Entwistle,macca,the guy in Atlanta rhythm section, Lemmy,Chris squier etc
@@patm5086 Roger Glover, Geddy Lee, Roger Waters, Mike Rutherford, Rick James, the list could go on for days
You'll missed the most iconic 1 in history. McCarthy painted left handed 4001 for St Peppers. IMHO the most memorable Ric in R an R
RickenBACKer! Back-er!
They've recently started offering some models with unglossed fretboards, which shows they're not completely averse to change. There are no CBS, Norlin, or Baldwin-era Ricks, just the same build and quality since the beginning.
I have never seen a maple fretboard unglossed on any Fender guitar. I don’t know why people make such a big deal about Rickenbacker spraying laquor over rosewood.
I suspect this is a cost saving measure. A non-lacquered board is requires less time to dress than a lacquered board.
@@macinfloydvolk You've never seen a Fender guitar with a maple fingerboard in a satin finish?
It is DEFINITELY a cost saving measure. Plus I have 3 of them. 2 we’re fine. But one needed extensive work to make playable. QC is a BIG ISSUE with these instruments. Disgraceful when you think of the money these cost and the insanely loyal fan base.
@@macinfloydvolk Try playing leads and you'll see why.
Casino don’t have a Rickenbacker in stock (although a 60s example is with their luthier). Neither does anyone else. The main reason most people have never played a Rickenbacker is that they have never had the chance to. I recently acquired a 360 and I am completely besotted with it (especially the neck - oh, and that Ric-O-Sound thing for twin amping). But it had to find me. It had been my luthier’s studio guitar for 20 years (you can imagine how it plays, plus its a bit tricked out from the factory spec) and he had decided it was time to let it go. There it was, on the wall of his workshop one day I went it to pick up an acoustic, winking at me. “Who’s is the Ricky…”? “Oh, that’s mine, take it away for the weekend if you like, see how you get on” (I think he kinda wanted me to have it). And for me its the perfect singer songwriter guitar. There is something about them that just doesn’t get in the way of a singer. But they are relatively rare because production is relatively low by volume and nobody really needs to market them. So nobody does. If you are ever fortunate enough to have a Rickenbacker track you down don’t fight it. Give it a big old French kiss on the first date and if necessary sell your neighbor’s mother to raise the $. Always remember it chose you, which means you now have a solemn duty to make great guitar music with it, for ever and ever, amen!
I have multiple Rics, completely sold out to them. Wonderful guitars, high quality.
I have a 2002 burgundyglo 330 six string and a Ruby 660 12-string.
Both sound and play great.
They are definitely their own thing, in the way that they feel and the sound.
But in some musical situations, they are the right tool for the job.
The Beatles, Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, The Edge, Johnny Marr…. Have all made great music with them
This is also why Duesenberg is so smart- they took two relatively stubborn (in a good way) legacy brands, Gretsch and rickenbacker, and created an amalgamate of their designs into something that captures the essence but is way more player friendly in a modern era. Still, Ricks rule, especially their basses and 12 strings
And if you want certain models, you wait until one is available. I grew up watching people play the guitars and basses, and I'm not talking about The Beatles. People like Peter Buck, Marty Wilson Piper and people like that. Iconic looks. I had to have a bass too. I bought my 360 when Tom Petty passed.
I own a 2013 model 330 in Ruby . I had promised myself a Ric as a 13 year old Jam fan , 30 years previously. Still lovin it.
I own a 2002 Rickenbacker 650 Dakota, maple neck and fret board and walnut body. Purchased it in early 2020 and really love how it plays and sounds.
Those Dakotas sound incredible and they’re versatile
Last year I bought a new 330 JetGlo after years of wanting one. It's an awesome guitar and I love how it sounds, plays and looks.
I've owned a Ric 365 since 1966! Wonderful instrument. It's the quirkiest guitar I have.
I just bought a Rickenbacker 330 two months ago, and I am already lusting after several other models. Only that long waiting list is holding me back.
I bought a used 13 year old 1974 Jetglo 4001 bass in my early 20's, also because of Chris Squire. I paid $150 CA and it even came with the original case. It did need a little bit of work but I loved the sound and feel, even if I didn't play or sound like Squire. I ended up selling it for $800 six years later. I never regretted it, i used that money to help pay for an Apple ][+ computer and spent the bulk of my working career in IT. However, I did miss it.
My wife finally told me to "Just go and buy one" after spending too many hours on eBay looking at Rickenbacker basses. After doing some research, I ordered a Jetglo 4003 from the factory through Canadian retailer Long & McQuad the end of September 2014. I was told it would be a least a year. Imagine my surprise when I got a phone call the end of February 2015 that my bass had arrived. Serial number said it was built in January. The bass was still off gassing when I opened the case in the store.
I've got a number of Fender's, a Stingray and various other bass shaped objects, but the 4003 is my number one. Yes, it doesn't work for all music styles but I've been playing the heck out of it and loving it. It just feels right in my hands.
Rickenbacker has been making small, incremental changes. The new five string bass (4003S/5), reissue of the 4005, changing dual truss rods to single, non-laquered fingerboards and redesigned bridges on the 4000 series basses, all point to a slow and steady attitude to change. I don't think you'll be looking at any radical new designs in the near future.
In the Beatles you always think of John and George when it comes to Rickenbacker but Paul was a Rickenbacker man too. Most recordings of the group from Sgt. Peppers to the end of the group in the studio was him playing a Rickenbacker Bass. You see it in the old video of All You Need Is Love.
I bought a 90’s Lefty 330/12 in Denmark Street about 20 years ago. Slightly scared of it for 18 years as it never worked well with my Marshall and was freaked out by the clear glaze on the fretboard. Then I got a Vox 2 years ago and it’s now opened it up as a fantastic instrument. It’s like a cousin to Gretsch. Plus it’s probably now worth twice what I paid for it.
I had a small solid body 620 that I had paired up with a Marshall in a punk band I was in. Pretty appalling sound really as they didn't go together at all well. Great for something more subtle or jangly .....got pinched. Wish I still had it now I'd probably appreciate it more.
Rickenbacker makes fantastic basses and we've always thought it was great that there is such confidence in the quality of the original designs. Every bass I've held by them felt great whether it was vintage or modern. I think they enjoy an advantage that Chrysler(USA) used to have in the car industry which is you can make what you want when you aren't #1 or #2 and that gets the attention of people who don't want "the industry standard".
Love my 330, the neck is narrow and glossy and is a bit of a challenge to play. But sounds amazing!
I bought a 4001 bass in '78. Still have it and love it as much as ever.
I'm lucky enough to own two Ricks (a 330/12 and a 610) and I LOVE THEM!
Hey Guys . . It's pronounced Rick - en - BACK - er . . . NOT Rick - en - BACH - er!!
When Adolph Richenbacher founded his company he named it for himself. But with the outbreak of WW2, he was worried that folks would think Richenbacher was a German based company, and so he Americanised the name to make it sound true blue made in the USA, which indeed it was, and still is. Rickenbacker is as American as the Cadillac. This info is right outta the Rickenbacker book.
It took several months to get my first Rickenbacker 360w. The second ,Rickenbacker 330FG, was just a quick search on Reverb and price negotiation. Both are excellent guitars and bring a new characteristics to the sound when playing.
Guys, once I decided to get a Ric and I ventured onto Reverb, they had a lot of used and new Ric plus basses. I found my 620 six stringer, used, but it was listed as mint and I got it for 1300 plus $125 shipping. I got it and it is mint. I asked the seller why and it was the neck issue. When he bought it, he was a rhythm guitarist but went to playing lead. Because of the neck, he had to sell it. Me, I am rhythm and can’t see changing buy I own a tele, strat, a 335 and Les Paul. The Ric sound is so pretty
When I was a teenager I was playing my dad's Rickenbacker 3001 bass, a weird bolt on neck body and it weighed a ton but it sounded amazing and played beautifully. I'd still love to have a 360 guitar even though the sound is very niche and the quirky feel is different than anything else.
I've owned a 1976 320 white, and a maple glow 1980 360 12 string. My favorite guitars ever. I love the neck profile. I sold them years ago but I was thinking about buying another 360 12 string. I think maybe the walnut one. I love it. It's beautiful
The 4001 Bass is just so uniquely razzamatazz beautiful, that neck just goes on forever. It’s a work of art.
I have been an acoustic only player for decades. 3 years ago decided to learn electric. I decided to kind of follow history. Started with a Rick 360/6, then Tele, then Strat. Fun.
North Carolina boys. Love their knowledge & admiration for the brand and business model of Rickenbacker… Just got my Mapleglo 330. It’s like a timepiece. You’ll never regret buying one. It oozes cool!
Ric's price is simply tied to inflation and their growth is tied to population growth. The guitars hold or increases in value so if you do sell you at worse had free rent of the guitar while it was in your procession. If you can afford the initial outlay you have nothing to lose buying one. They have no internal staff problems because they treat the employees with respect.
The lady that wound Townsends PU's was still working part time their in her 80's. In fact I was able about 8 years ago to get in contact and have a PU made and it was for my Duo Sonic. It was still sold to me as a replacement part. I paid $75.00 USD. The triple chrome plating on it would cost me three times that. The PU gives me both the Tom Petty thing and the Townsend thru a Marshall stack thing. Very versatile.
I totally agree about the renting thing. I have a '92 360 and I could sell it today for triple of what I paid.
*edit*. I think that one of the reasons for this is that their specs haven't really changed much. I imagine that a new off-the-shelf 360 is identical to my old one.
That only helps them as a brand
That Ric PUP in a Duo-Sonic is genius. I have a MIM Duo that is likely begging for such a change. Thanks for that!
@@DavidHBurkart My Duo is the MIM one with the hardtail bridge. I have the Ric at the neck and a Duncan Tele 55 at the bridge. Townsend used both the Ric and the Tele even at the same gig. The PU's are different but complimentary Leo designed the Tele '54 and was annoyed it was a 9 out of 10 so only a year later he did the '55. It has more 'spank' . Years later he said it was his favorite.
Both Tom Petty and roger Mcguinn used a little treble booster always on box. In 1966 Vox made the Vox V-806 treble booster. Ananashead make the Byrd Song pedal. It is a perfect part for part clone for $100. The pedal make the Ric sound sound like what most guys think a Ric already sounds like ..in short extra, extra chimey and sparkly.
I recently picked up a new 330/12 - it only cost me a bit under $2k. I absolutely love it. The neck is skinny, and I have chubby fingers so it's not a match made in heaven but the more I play it, the more I get used to it. As you guys said, it's an acquired taste. The model 1993Plus has a wider neck than the 330 and 360 as does the 620. worth a try if you just can't get used to the skinny necks.
Wow guys, awesome. Every Ric is exquisite. For someone coming from acoustic guitar flat-picking, going to a Ric is the most natural transition to electric guitar. They are the most tuneful electric guitars I have ever used, by far. I started this side project covering early R.E.M., and playing that material on a Tele or something else is NOT the same. Jonathan most definitely needs one. For a 6-string, I would go for a 330 or 360. For 12-string, if you want the wider fretboard, look at the 660/12 and 1993Plus, else, be prepared to design a custom nut with your preferred string placement.
Odd that a Tele isn’t “the same” since Peter Buck used a Tele in the early days of R.E.M.
I've seen some Walnut 330s at Andy Babiuk that have a more raw, unfilled finish that is super alluring.
It's not that Rickenbacker has "kept it small". That's a myth if you don't know about any history BT, Before Twitter. Rickenbacker is doing way less than they used to up to about 2000 or so. In the 80s and 90s they did some fabulous things and had a pretty expansive catalog. They had a lot of signature models-- Townshend, McGuinn, John Kay, Glenn Frey, Susanna Hoffs, and of course Tom Petty. There was a Chris Squire bass and I think a Geddy Lee bass. They had a reissue 4001 that was the one McCartney had but no sig. They had amazing acoustic guitars! The 700 series, I think it was. Rickey Nelson had been known for playing them while girls fainted. A dreadnought and a jumbo, both in 6 and 12 string, and in Mapleglo or Fireglo finish. They had the same headstock as the electrics - - imagine that! They made an unbelievably beautiful archtop jazz guitar in Fireglo called The Jazzbo, which had these exaggerated cat's eye soundholes. Possibly the most beautiful guitar you've ever seen! They had a color of the year every year. They tried out Walnut versions of the 330, 360 and 4003 which they still have, but they also launched the 650 line, which had the cresting wave design on 4 beautiful wood finishes, and some new-fangled humbuckers they tried out. They had all the usual 330, 360, 381, 620, etc type guitars in the usual colors and shapes, and the 1996 and 1997 Rose-Morris f-hole models, but there was also a brief run of a 480 series that had a 4001 shape body on a guitar! Wow! They started to do vintage reissues like the 325 and 350 Liverpool series that are still made. The features on the Tom Petty (toasters, trapeze tailpiece, and wider neck) were so popular they continued it as the 660 model, and that is still made.
But around 2000, something changed. Vintage spec models like the 360 V-64 went out of production. The WB double-bounds were gone. The acoustics were over. Jazzbo was over. I don't think they continued doing the signature models, and once the runs finished on the others, that was it. The 650s were gone. They re-upped the 360 V-64 as the 360 C-63 and there was a 1997 style (called the 1993) that came along later. For a while, after 2000, the Fireglo finishes were often terrible! Very orangey and with no amber transition in the burst, just pale wood. They got better again but it took a while. Overall, though, it seemed that Rickenbacker contracted, they cut back, they streamlined, they stopped innovating and fell back to a very staid, predictable line of classics.
To me, in retrospect, it looks like there was a changing regime in the family, or some consultants were brought in, key staff quit or were let go, or the factory and process underwent changes or "upgrades" .... Or all or some of the above.
They did try to license out the acoustics to someone for a while, but that didn't last. That was not a good idea. Why stop making them? Because someone at Rickenbacker didn't want to do it anymore.
What I've heard from dealers is that the company is very hard to work with. They are arrogant and indifferent and obstinate. They have the prestige of history behind them so eff you. They make the guitars in runs of a model or two at a time and rotate them through, rather than make some of several models. So that is why you wait 2 years, it's until that model gets its turn. The story is that the family got magnificently wealthy buying up real estate in Orange County and they don't count on the money from the guitar company to scrape by. That's just a vanity project, though they do it well. But somewhere in there, they decided to stop growing the guitar business, and keep it as a heritage thing, but it's a more constricted business model than it was 15-20 years ago, and has not been a "small tight family thing" ever since John saw Toots playing a Capri in 1959 or some such thing.
I may have some details wrong but I will stand by my main thesis as to the past 20 years. And I'm not even talking about how they dropped the amps, the lap steels, double-necks... Mike Rutherford, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you!
Youll get whatever we feel like giving you, at whatever level of quality we feel like. Love, Ric
Make me a stereo guitar, preferably a solid body. I like the toggle switch and Volume and tone controls in the same positions as an LP. A pickups blend control is a nice addition.
Rickenbackers are my go-to guitar every time!
My main model has been the 620 solid body, since I got my very first one back in 1982, my third year of high school. It's still the only one that I bought brand new from a dealer!
These days I have five of the 600 series RICs. A 67 FG 625, with the accent vibrato, a 77 JG 620 that was modded with EMGs by the previous owner, a FG 620/12 from 1980, which was the first year of production for the twelve string after the Tom Petty album came out with Petty holding Mike Campbell's 12 string. Also a 1991 JG 610 and a 2002 Burgundy 620VB, from the "colour of the year" run.
I prefer the smaller headstock with the Kluson tuners, so the obvious next Rickenbacker for me would be a 660, with the slightly wider neck.
I have fallen in love with British Racing Green, a finish that RIC has only offered on the 4003 and 330 so far. But I live in hope!!
I also own a TR25 amplifier from the early 1980s, which sounds great! People forget that amplifiers were something that the company sold for years, often as a combination of guitar and amplifier for students learning the guitar.
Again a wonderful company, with a rich history, and if I ever make it to Santa Ana CA I will go worship at the holy ground of Kilson drive, what is currently a plumbers supply store, where most of my instruments were made.
I recently bought a 4003 Autumnglo in satin with the checker binding after lusting after a Ric for years. An all around great guitar- lovely tone and beautiful fit and finish. And family made in 🇺🇸. I was a bit nervous after reading the cold shoulder they tend to get online but I must’ve lucked out and gotten a really good one- no complaints.
RIC has a reputation for poor, super unfriendly customer service.
I’ve been to the Ric factory! Great operation! I’ve owned a couple of Rics, although I don’t have one now. Would love to get another one, though.
A good guitar is where you find it, but as somebody who built these guitars for many years I find the comments completely from a fanboy perspective.. I would probably disagree with 75% of the things people say on here about the guitars themselves and the company... the owner only has a passion to protect the copyright but other than that the whole family has zero passion and they could do a small expansion with changes for the good.. I had to beg them to go on a stewmac shopping spree because the tools they had were from the 30s I believe when the company started lol and that was like pulling teeth so I don't need to go any further on how resistant to change this lifeless company has ! for the companies that I've worked for in the many other guitars that I've built I appreciate my time at Rickenbacker because they do have a legacy along with a slightly different type of construction than others was certainly a benefit to my guitar building experience but that's about where it stops for me ! Bottom line is this company can't do more than 30 guitars a day period.. no secret sauce going on ! Three different occasions declined to sell me a guitar and you couldn't even barely get a t-shirt or a poster from these people as an employee
Have a 330 and a 360 12 string. My experience is most people do not like them. Been in a lot of shops where people go off on how horrible the neck, dual truss, lacquer, pickups are. My Rick's have appreciated well.
Baxter throwing in Braveheart and other random movie references is why I watch every video from Casino.
I can always count on Baxter making some weird reference to some movie. LOL
I watch just to see the blazers. Businessy, but also sloppy. There can only be one.
@@michaeltigut8690 This world isn’t big enough for 2 Baxter’s! 😂😂👍👍
Your absolutely right, Chet, absolutely.
I bought a 1993Plus 12 string last year as a gift for the brother. It’s a bucket list guitar. It has it’s own sound, and it looks epic. It sounds great even acoustically. I’ve got a video of it on my profile. Price wise, they are vastly less than a fender or Gibson custom shop model, and every bit the same, if not more quality. Also have a Don Rich replica 64 custom shop telecaster. Everything is awesome in its own realm. Rickenbacker has nailed down its sound, just like Gretsch, fender, and Gibson have. Nothing makes that sound, and oh what a sound it is.
Rickenbacker...!
Orange County, CA. 55 Fwy and Mac Arthur Bl. By South Coast Plaza...Beautiful Area!
Cheers from Newport Beach, CA. 👍🏿
Part of what controls their production is the type of finish they use on Rics. The chemicals are regulated at the state level. They can only bring in so much, which means they can only produce so many guitars. Also, they started making what ppl wanted to buy a long time ago. The didn’t mess with the recipe!
Rickenbacker stopped using conversion varnish finishes in 2004 or 2005. I think they use thin policy finishes since then, but don't quote me on that.
@@dog61 they use UV cured nitrocellulose
The correct pronunciation of the name is Ricken-"BACK"-er. It's a short "A." Not a long "AH." Check it out with anyone from the family or management. Great vlog, guys. Very informative.
Thanks. I'll say a prayer that Jonathan gets one before he gets old.
I have loved Rics my entire playing life since I saw Martin Rotsey of Midnight Oil playing a 360/12 (which he played on the latest tour BTW) back in the late 80's. Compared to Strats and Les Pauls, they just looked so weird and sounded like nothing else. I have a 360/12 and 360 and love them to bits. They are the ANALOGUE of the music world.
I have two. I love them. I ordered a 620 Jetglow 19 months ago. I will wait.
I have this guitar and it is amazing. Worth the wait.
I have managed to acquire a few over the decades. My first was a McGuinn 12 string that sounds magical but the nut is so narrow you need long thin fingers to make it work. The 360 and 660 are easy to play. The 325 is a smaller unit and tough to play if you have larger fingers. They all sound special and like Rics. Same for my 4003 bass. Nothing sounds like it
They've sold a lot of them over the decades, so there must be more thin-fingered people around that you'd think. Why you'd need long fingers for a narrow neck is a mystery to me.
To newer your question. Vintage Fender X11 is the 12 string . Jimmy Page used the Fender X11 on Stairway To Heaven .
Ric 6 strings are cool
My cousin just got a Rickenbacker 5 sting. I was in shock how smooth it plays and feels. I've never considered myself a jealous person... 🤔
Thin nut on the Ric 330/12 is a deal killer for me. I had one for 2 years and eventually sold it. Same problem with the 335/12 in the late 60s. The fender XII were pretty good deals until the pandemic spike. Also a guild Starfire 12 string is a good wide nut option
The 660/6, 660/12, and 1993 Plus have 1.75” necks instead of the standard 1.62” necks.
I feel ya; I have 3 Les Pauls, a strat and a tele; I have a 1994 Fireglo 36 6 string; the narrow nut width is just so difficult to play, it sits on the rack most of the time; I'm never going to sell it because it's mint, and it's gorgeous, but my others guitars are sooooo much easier to play
Theres a Tom Petty signature Ric on our craigslist here that I drool over.
That one has a playable neck profile. Tom specified it.
Looking back, it seems pretty miraculous that Rickenbacker survived the 1970s - I guess sales of the 4001 bass kept them going? Just shows there's always a market for quality. I'm going to buy a 360-12 as a retirement self-gift one day (if I back-order it on my 62nd birthday it should arrive on time!)
one of my favorite guitars that i kinda never ever play is my Lennon Rickenbacker, its just so small--but soo cool.
I LOVE my Ricks!! Great episode.
Actually, I don’t think they fight the market trends. They, as you say, stay in their lane and let market trends play out knowing there will be ebb and flow. I’ve had my 330/12 since 1990 and it makes me smile every time I pick it up.
I’ve had a 360 since the late 90s and never take it out of the case because it’s awkward to play. I should sell it, but I can’t part w/it because it looks so cool.
Roger McGuinn had a double-neck Ricky - He also had one with the "color organ" so it wold change colors based on the notes/frequencies. Of course, Roger is the poster boy for all things Rickenbacker...
Fireglo Rickenbackers are the most beautiful electric guitars in existence. I have 3 of them. A 1966 360/12, a 1967 360, and a 2016 1993plus 12 string. Unbelievably good guitars, but sometimes I just stare at them in their cases, which I never do with Fenders and Gibsons. It does help if you have long and narrow fingers, but the 1993plus has the wide neck, and the vintage 12 is so easy to play in spite of the narrow neck. I often look at it to try to figure out its secret to easy action, just great craftsmanship I suppose.
How does the old 12 and plus compare for you? I have a plus ordered from sweetwater but it’s a tough call between that and the C63.
You're telling Noah about the flood:) Rick's are way more fun to look at than they are to play. I'm keeping my Fireglo 360!
With Ric, it's almost like their standard line is comparable to other brands custom shop. I've owned several Rics over the years, but none of them ever 'stuck' with me. I think now that it was more my limitation than theirs...
If I was to get one now, it would be the 'Tom Petty model' 12 string, because it has a slightly wider nut, which is crucial in a 12 string. I still can't believe that George Harrison and Roger McGuinn were able to deal with those skinny neck 12s, but hey, they did it...
Rickenbacker to me is just so rock n roll. I especially love their basses!!
In part, according to an interview with John Hall, their focus on vintage styling and features has been based on customer demand. They aren't a huge company and their output has largely been to satisfy customer demand for traditional, old school. I recall John mentioning that he'd like to expand to new styling and features, but demand for the old styling has been so great that they can't focus on new stuff. It is a quirky company, but I love my Ricks.
Gibson, Fender, Musicman...they all bang their heads against that wall as well, every time they try a new model the bass community complains that they should stick to the classics
They have stated that since they are a relatively small company and there is so much demand for the legacy instruments, there is no need to expand the product line, nor do they have the capacity. They also said: it’s pronounced RickenBACKer.
The Gretsch 12-string 6122 Country Gentleman is the main historical contender with the Rick 12-strings.
I had a Ric 4001 bass back in the 80's and early 90's. Loved the sound but hated playing it because to me, the neck was just hard to play. Kept it for 10 years because of the tone. But the fingers were always killing me after playing it.
My dad has a 330 and I love it for rhythm and it has an incredible sound but I don’t love it for lead, it’s good, but a little stiff IMO. Do they make one more conducive to lead
The reason that there are no new Ric models is simple - John Hall and team designed a whole new range in the 90's. Ric 380L, Ric 650, Ric 220/230/250. They didn't sell very well, which is a pity as they were REALLY cool guitars. After that, Ric stuck with the classics.
Other guitar makers offer you a candy store of variety. RIC asks whether you'd like black licorice or a Werther's Original.
love my ric 360 12 string and my 330 6 string
My local shop has a brand new Ric in stock...hasn't been there long. Sound Vibrations in Corpus Christi, TX. I know they ship guitars....they have a Reverb store..but they don't really use it that much.
I have a 69 360 12 and it rings like a bell. Lennon's 6 string had a special sound that drove he whole band
I bought my Rickenbacker fireball 1969 360 12 from Cesar Diaz (rip) back in 1994. Cesar lived in Stroudsburg PA. He played xwith Bob Dylan and was SRV's amp tech back in the beginning of Stevie's career. Also from the Stroudsburg area and my RIC
Continued: the Ric I bought belonged to Bill Kelly from The Bouys who's only hit was "Timothy" ,the song about cannibalism in a mining accident. Lol. My RIC kicks the song off.
a world of every quarter's profits having to be more than the last quarter's profits, it's nice to see a company that's cool with doing how they do.
Finally someone talking about rickenbacker! They are like the invisible guitar company. I am saving to buy one and there is never any content on these great American guitars
Ive got a 360/12 which is the only guitar I can think of that has a video by Rodger McGuinn teaching how to play it, it is a bear to play so I bought a 660 and it has a wider neck and is fun to play but still different ....
My Ric 330 Mapleglo is still my favorite guitar. You can hold it and feel the quality of a USA made. Nothing sounds and plays like it. Everyone should have one.
Love my 330 Mapleglo too. Bright sound, gorgeous, awesome freeboard and the clear-coat finish yellows with age.
I have had 3 Ricks: A 90's 360/12 with Hi-gain pickups and "R" tailpiece, a 350v63 with toaster pickups, and I still have a 360/12C63 (George Harrison) with toaster pickups. I didn't like the Hi Gain pickups, the toasters sound a lot warmer and natural. I also didn't like the "R" tailpiece, it makes re-stringing a nightmare. I traded the 350v63 in for a Strat at Norm's Rare Guitars and a couple of days later they posted a video with Tim Pierce playing my guitar! Damn!
I've never 'gotten' the Hi-Gains... overwound single-coils. The Toasters always sound so much better to me.
Cool
I got a Rickenbacker 360 this winter. The neck is the best thing ever: narrow fretboard and thick neck profile. So cool. Ric has stopped laying gloss over the fretboard since last year. So you have your regular rosewood fretboard. Is it a great gig machine for Jonathan? it looks and sounds great, but changing the strings on that floating R tailpiece is a nightmare. Bring a spare guitar!
Change to a trapeze tailpiece, you can get them on Reverb. Or, add the tremelo tailpiece. The R looks great but is a hassle on 6 strings and a nightmare on 12 strings.
Maybe the R could be modified to allow for string through. Another possibility. Adds weight, though, it's a big hunk of metal.
My 360 V64 six string had a trapeze tailpiece. The guitar had a pinging sound on the b string that no one could solve at the bridge, saddle or nut. I finally put a tremelo on from Winfield Vintage and it no longer pings. Plus it trems! Not cheap but it totally revolutionized the guitar.
My guess is it was some kind of metallic overtone that got accentuated by the resonant hollow-body. It made the guitar virtually unplayable. Now it's great with no ping - - but I don't much like the lacquered fretboard now that I'm playing it for longer periods.
Hopefully that is helpful.
Jonathan, you have Mike's amp and no Rickenbacker????? Mike Campbell and Tom Petty are why I play Rick's and love them, the sound awesome and yes the neck takes getting used to, but once you're dialed in they are incredible. My 620 covers most of my needs. I have two, had three until I recently sold my 250 El Dorado as I just didn't play it as much, but I would have twenty of them if I could. My next one will be a 650D or a 660 12 string.
I was lucky enough to get a RIC 4003 , neck is way different to the jazz basses I normally play.
I love my 360/12 Walnut.
What I would like to see RIC do is a 4003 with ROASTED EHRM and a Warwick-esque oiled finish.
Oh, and a Hipshot Bridge.
THEN, do a 4001C64S with the above tweaks.
Love your CZcams channel but what happened to the podcast?
I've owned a blonde 330 since the early '90's. Great guitar ! I'm shocked they don't get copied as much as other lines of guitars, 335's, LP's, Tele's, Strat's, Flying V's, etc. and I've never heard of Ric ever suing other manufactures. Everyone should have one in they're array of instruments.
There are fakes from China. They are junk naturally.
It's because the owner sits up in his little Loft in the warehouse and looks for people to sue if they do anything close.. was lead Builder for 4 years and so many of the opinions on here are completely uninformed and come from a fanboy perspective
@@globalmind43 There's nothing wrong with a company working to protect it's trademarked designs. Any company that has anything worth protecting is doing the same.
There are plenty of Asian made Rick copies. You won't see them hanging on the pegs at guitar center, but they're readily available from places like Aliexpress. And at pretty reasonable prices compared to the real things. I've never played one of them, so I don't have an opinion. I did own (and wish I still owned) a Univox 4001 copy from the lawsuit era. The previous owner put real rick pickups in it. If it weren't for the single truss rod, it would have been identical to a real 1976 4001.
@@dog61 Pretty reasonable prices compared to the real thing ? The real thing is reasonably priced for what you're getting in my experience.
I've always wanted a Ric, since I started playing in the early 80s. They finally started bringing them to the UK again in the 90s - the distributor got caught selling Ric knock offs in the 70s, and Ric pulled the deal - tried one and couldn't get on with the necks. Absolutely love them, but couldn't live with one.
I think it’s easy for people to pick on Rickenbacker, every guitar maker going does the exact same thing. C.F. Martin has D-28 and D-18 which have been mainstays for 70 plus years. Over at Gibson it’s Les Pauls, SGs, flying vees, ES-335s, SJ-200s and J-160s, Gretsch has 6120s, 6122, 6119, and Duo jet, Sparkle jet, Penguins and Falcons. Epiphone has it’s Casino and Texans. Down the road at Fender it’s Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazz Bass, P Bass. All of these instruments with no or various differences to the original concepts. No other maker seems to get this stigma…. But Rickenbacker does.
I’ll simply ask you, when are you going to talk about guitars.
Good discussion fellas Personally I can't stand Rick gets, but I LIVE the basses. It seems to me that keeping their debt down worked well for them
Ric was forced by the California Air Board and forced to limit production. They had the option to leave and increase production but they stayed in California and simply limited production of pollutants from the finishing process by limiting the number of instruments produced daily. This is why there is a 2 year wait list for suppliers. Limit production and build in automatic demand.
This also forced them to change from the catalyzed conversion varnish to the UV cured conversion varnish. Guitars made during that transition had issues with soft finishes due to the inconsistencies with the curing process.
I think that for Rickenbacker, "the bottom line" means longetivity, not immediate profit margins
I so want to visit in person. I drive between Ga and Va a couple times a year, but ya'll aren't exactly on the way. My family would kill me if I veered that far off course to go to a guitar shop. In hindsight I could have probably gotten away with it on a road trip with my son last week. Damnit. The obvious solution is you need to move closer to 75 or 85 or 40 or even 95.
They have changed the neck. I bought a used 2002 360/12 used,and it has a thick neck. Then I bought a new 2021 360/12. Thinner neck. The neck feels exactly like an Epiphone Sheraton II Pro (spelling) that I just played at GC.
There is a difference in spring spacing between both too. They changed the string spacing around 2008 and tightened the pairs and spread the Outer E string pairs out. Way easier to play. I actually bought a newer nut from Rickenbacker to put on my 2002. I had to file the depth for each string of course.
I play one every day. Leave it out of the case. It’s the newer one. Already has a couple of nicks in the paint. I play one of them at church every Sunday through a hot rod deluxe. Distortion, chorus, Flanger,delay, and ehx C9 organ pedal are my basic pedals. Jangle Box compressor is always on. People love the Rics over my Strats, Skyhawk, and vintage Jag.
I do too😀
You got it bro. Its Epiphone Sheraton II Pro. You got it right, but you did put "spring" spacing, but its cool I knew what you meant.😀
Y'all need to talk about Kiesel! They are another company like Rick
⚓️ Thanks Casino 😎
Ricks are pretty cool but I can't get with the neck. Maybe I'll change at some point. I've played a few really nice Rick basses and they sound amazing but my left hand just didn't jive with those necks. But I love my fianceé's Jackson-Backer! That thing plays like heavy metal butter.
They don't need new ones just better tailpieces sometimes
Yes, there is another 12-string guitar to consider. The Reverend Airwave, truly worth considering.
I'll take the Rick in a heartbeat thanks. I'd consider a used Gibson 335 12 if they didn't make a Rick look cheap, or maybe an Epiphone Casino 12 if they ever decide to make them again. Even the used prices on those are high when they finally surface.
That corvette Les Paul in the back is too nice for you. You should give it to a nice guy like me.
I've wanted a Rick for the last 50 years! That may sound strange, but I'm 70 and have been gigging for 50+ years. The right time, price, guitar has just never come along. Back when I started, everything I played was a 50's - 60's guitar, that's all there was! LOL If I had only kept 1/2 of the ones I've had over the years... I still wouldn't have a Rick! LOLOL 8) --gary
Anybody notice the blue Corvette Les Paul in the background?
Why?
I had a Rickenbacker 4001 bass back in the 1970s (I was 17, I believe) that I bought just because Chris Squire played one in Yes, and Yes was very popular for a while in my crowd. It did have that unique staccato sound like Chris used so effectively. However, I rarely used it because my band played mostly Southern Rock and some Beatles-never any Yes songs or Prog rock in general. I traded it in at a guitar shop in Memphis (Strings and Things) for an Ovation Applause acoustic even up, because I was in medical school by then, and figured I'd never play in a rock band again. And, yes, I was taken advantage of. A 1975 or so Rick 4001 was and is WAY more valuable than an Ovation Applause. The Strings and Things staff took advantage of a naive and somewhat desperate kid. Wish I still had it now.
In 2000, I bought a 360 in Fireglo to celebrate my first good job. The binding had plenty of gaps. My 2022 Yamaha Revstar RSS02T is perfection in comparison. It was still a beautiful guitar, but pre solid internet, I never learned how to play it. I sold it in the midst of my doomed marriage. It is a very cool guitar, but I never found the neck very comfortable.
They make models with wider necks